Cancún Prepares Janal Pixán 2026 at Puerto Juárez, Aims to Double Attendance

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Organizers in Cancún are putting the final touches on Janal Pixán 2026, the city’s Day of the Dead celebration, which will be held at Puerto Juárez on Oct. 30 and 31 and Nov. 1 and 2.

Carlos López Jiménez, director of the Benito Juárez Institute of Culture and the Arts, said last year’s edition drew 12,000 visitors over four days and that organizers expect to double that number this year.

“Janal Pixán has become a benchmark for Day of the Dead celebrations, not only for Cancún residents but also for tourists, who now choose these dates to visit the destination,” he said. “Of the 12,000 visitors we had last year over four days, 30% were national and international tourists who enjoyed and appreciated this celebration here.”

Entries for the altar and catrina competitions are already open, López Jiménez said, and the Parque de las Palapas will once again host the traditional Cena de Ánimas, or Supper of the Souls.

Maritime procession opens the festival

The event begins with a maritime procession at Puerto Juárez, which López Jiménez said is now being called the “Port of Sighs” because of the festival. This year the procession will take place on a larger stage to accommodate more attendees.

“This maritime procession is what sets the event apart and represents the souls arriving from the beyond by boat, straight from the sea, with fishermen from the community taking part and lending us their boats, fully decorated for the procession,” he said.

Saúl Enríquez, the institute’s general coordinator and the person responsible for the staging and dramaturgy of Janal Pixán, said five companies will perform this year: theater, dance, ballet, choir and children’s choir.

The artistic program will feature 50 performers on stage, and dancers from the Guatemalan city of Tikal will also take part.

“There are 50 artists on stage, which makes this a monumental exercise in which they sing, dance and act,” Enríquez said. “This year we wanted to focus on the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. It is Janal Palal, which for those who don’t know is the Maya term for ‘supper of the little souls.’ This year we are putting the emphasis on that; it is a very tender and endearing story.”